Method of manufacture of tubular knitted articles, and articles, particularly tights, obtained by the said method

ABSTRACT

For knitted articles such as panties, tights and the like, constituted by an assembly of tubular parts, regions are provided having lengthwise of the tube, a reduced height and a reduced elasticity particularly at the front and on the sides of the slip. Reduction of height and of elasticity in some regions of the articles is obtained by modifying the height of the loops in said regions.

United States Patent [191 Giberstein Dec. 30, 1975 [54] METHOD OF MANUFACTURE OF 2,6l8,l39 ll/l952 Silman 66/l76 TUBULAR KNITTED ARTICLES AND 3.425146 2/l969 K nohl 66/187 X ARTICLES PARTICULARLY TIGHTS 3,479,844 I l/I969 SIlvaIn 66Il76 3,546,900 l2/l970 Knohl 66/I87 X OBTAINED BY THE METHOD 3,599,24I 8ll97l Rossler- 66 I76 x 75 wemor; Bernard Gibtrstein Paris France 3,65l,670 3/l972 Burleson et al..... 66ll77 73] A DIM S A A t F 1824,812 7/l974 Matthews et a]. 66/I77 ssI nee: l g u FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [22] F'ledi July 1973 2,003.298 8/1970 Germany 66/177 [2| I Appl. No.: 376,284

Primary Examiner-Wm. Carter Reynolds Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Kenyon & Kenyon Reilly [30] Forelgn ApplIcatIon PrIorIty Data can & Chapin Apr. 4 I972 France 73tl2l40 [52] U.S. Cl 66/177; 66/190; 2/224 R [57] ABSTRACT [51] Int D045 1/24; D045 9/16 For knitted articles such as pantIes, tights and the hits, [58] Field of Search 66/177, I76, I82, I87, constituted y an assembly of Wbular P regions go; 2 224 R, 225 are provided having lengthwise of the tube, a reduced height and a reduced elasticity particularly at the front 5 Raf Cited and on the sides of the slip. Reduction of height and of UNITED STATES PATENTS elasticity in some regions of the articles is obtained by modifying the height of the loops in said regions. 1,123,587 l/l9l5 PhIllIps 66/182 198L136 Il/l934 Bloom 3 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures US. Patent Dec. 30, 1975 Sheet 1 of2 3,928,989

US. Patent Dec. 30, 1975 Sheet 2 012 3,928,989

villa/4,94 9 1 115.15. PRIOR ART METHODOF MANUFACTURE OF TUBULAR KNITTED ARTICLES, AND ARTICLES, PARTICULARLY TIGHTS, OBTAINED BY'THE SAID METHOD The present invention has essentially for its object a method of manufacture of knitted tubular articles, particularly tights or panties, on knitting machines. The invention also relates to the knitted articles, in particular the tights or panties manufactured according to the said method.

A conventional method of making tights consists in assembling two long stockings split in their upper portions, the two upper portions of the two stockings being seamed together to form the slip portion of the tights. The said slip portion is dsually knitted with more elasticity and strength than the stocking portions.

Where tights of higher quality are to be obtained, reductions and enlargements may be performed in the slip portion so that it may fit the body. This, however, considerably lengthens and complicates the making of the tights.

A method is also known wherein a gusset is affixed to the crotch portion of the slip, to impart sufficient fullness to the slip and make the. article more pleasant to wear. This, also, considerably complicates the making of the tights.

The invention enables the aforementioned difficulties to be avoided by using a ,method which is characterized in that, in order to obtain differences in height and/or elasticity lengthwise of the tube and on certain portions corresponding to selected angular intervals. the tubular articles are knitted inthe said intervals by modifying the height of the loops in these regions. This, for example, may be obtained simply by knitting only part of the loops and by interlacing threads in the rows which are not knitted in the said angular regions.

.If the method of the invention is used, for example, for the upper portion of two long tubular stockings which will be split and assembled in their upper portions so as to form tights, there is automatically obtained an upper portion of the tights which is so shaped as to form a slip which will perfectly fit the corresponding portion of the body.

The invention will appear more clearly as the following description proceeds, with reference to the appended drawings given solely by way of example illustrating one form of embodiment of the invention as applied to the manufacture of tights. In these drawings:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective front views of the upper portion of two long stockings which will be assembled after being split to constitute tights;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the upper portion of the tights formed by assembling the two stockings of FIGS. I and 2;

FIGS. 4 and 5 show the two stockings of FIGS. 1 and 2 seen from behind;

FIG. 6 is a back view of the upper portion of the tights illustrated in FIG. 3;

FIGS. 7 and 8 are a front view and a back view, respectively, of the upper portion of tights made according to the prior art.

According to the invention, and as seen more clearly in FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and S, the making of tights is started by using two long stockings I0,1l, respectively symmetrical one with the other as mirror images, the upper portions IOa, Ila of which are usually constituted by a material which is knitted more thickly than the lower 2 portion 10b, Ilb. After being knitted the stockings I0, will be split in their thicker upper portions along the lines I2, 13.

The two stockings I0, 11 will then be brought together and seamed in a known manner along their cut edges so as to form tights including a panty portion as shown in FIGS. 3 and 6 with a front seam line 20f, a rear seam line 20r and an affixed waist band 14.

If no particular precautions are taken to perform the abovementioned operations, the tights obtained appear as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, with an upper portion forming a strengthened slip 15. The elasticity of the knitted fabric in this portion of the tights is used so as to fit the wearer's body. Such tights, however, are neither very graceful nor quite comfortable.

Indeed, since the tights are more stretched on the buttocks than at the front, they automatically sink at the back. On the other hand, the thick portion of the slip extends rather low on the thighs, which is not very becoming either.

According to the invention, the upper portions 10a, Ila of the two stockings which will form the tights when assembled are so knitted as to result in differences in height, and elasticity lengthwise of the tube constituting each stocking, on certain portions corre' sponding to predetermined angular intervals. More precisely, ifzz is considered to be the axis of the stocking tube 10, according to the form of embodiment illustrated the hatched portion 16 corresponding to the interval with a centre angle a has been knitted by forming only one row out of two. In this region, the threads located in the rows which are not knitted are interlaced. The remainder, i.e. the stockingportion I7, is knitted normally with all the rows.

As a result, the stocking portion I6 is less high than the portion 17, thus tending to retract the upper portion of the stocking in this region.

The stocking II, a mirror image of stocking I0, is made similarly and symmetrically, so that it comprises a portion 18 of reduced height and a portion 19 of normal height.

Under such conditions, when the two stockings are assembled along the cut lines l2, l3 respectively symmetrical one with the other as mirror images so as to form tights, with a panty portion having front and side portions I6, 18 of reduced height and back portions l9r, 17r of greater height are obtained. In assembly the portion 17 is constituted by front part l7fand rear part I7r, and the portion I9 is constituted by the front part I9fand rear part I9r. Furthermore, the from parts l7f and 19f are joined along front seam line 20f and rear parts l7r, I9r are joined along the rear seam line 20r.

Owing to the presence of the waist band I4, the tights have the aspect shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, comprising an upper portion in the form of a slip with the front parts [7f and 19f forming a minor area on each side of the front seam 20f and with the rear parts l7r and I9r on each side of the rear seam line 20fforming substantially all the rear of said panty portion with a sufficient fullness at the back to enclose the buttocks.

In order to obtain a good elasticity at the crotch, the cut lines [2, [3 along which the two stockings are assembled are advantageously offset from the median lines of said normally knitted portions 17, I9 where the loops are formed completely, dividing said portions into respective main parts l7r, l9r and into reduced parts 17f, 19f. The latter provide at the crotch portion a region of knit stitches of plain fabric to which the parts 16 and 18 which extend over the major portion of the front and all of the side portions of said panty portion are joined and this provides the crotch with good elasticity.

Of course, the invention is by no means limited to the form of embodiment described and illustrated.

In particular, all desired specific shapes may be obtained by providing more or less important loop-height reductions at various locations.

As regards the making of the tights, it results from the foregoing that, by making the illustrated angular regions in the described manner, i.e. by forming only one row of loops out of two and interlacing the unknitted threads, an article is obtained which is quite becoming. It is obvious, however, that by applying the method of the invention, articles of other forms can be obtained, such as, for example, articles whose slip portion is more reduced in height, particularly on the side.

The method of the invention may also be used for all knitted tubular articles made on knitting machines, without resulting in considerable complications or loss of time.

The invention therefore comprises all the means constituting technical equivalents to the means described as well as their combinations, should the latter be carried out according to the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Method of manufacturing tights comprising the steps of: circularly knitting two symmetrical long tubular stockings and providing in a minor circumferential portion of each of their upper parts on an interval having a center angle a a reduced elasticity by interlacing at least a part of the threads used for the circular knitting in this interval and normally knitting the threads in the other angular portions, cutting said two stockings symmetrically one with the other as mirror images along cut lines substantially parallel to the axis of the tubular stockings and provided in the upper part of said stockings in said normally knitted portions, said cut lines being offset from respective median lines of said normally knitted portions, dividing said normally knitted portions into respective main parts and into respective reduced parts, and assembling said two stockings and joining them at front and rear seams along said cut lines to constitute a panty portion of said tights with two normally knitted portions, one of reduced surface area formed by said reduced parts being assembled at the front seam and forming a minor area on each side of said front seam of said panty portion and one of greater surface formed by said main parts assembled at the rear seam forming substantially all of the rear of said panty portion and with reduced elasticity portions of said minor circumferential portions adjoining both said fro'nt and rear normally knitted portions and extending over a major portion of the front parts of the panty portion thereby forming the panty portion from the upper assembled parts of said two stockings.

2. Tights embodying two assembled long circular knitted stockings comprising two legs and a panty portion, said stockings being assembled along a line forming a front seam and a rear seam for said panty portion and dividing the tights into two symmetrical parts, respectively forming mirror images each with the other, wherein parts adjacent respectively to said front seam and to said rear seam consist of threads in knit stitches forming plain fabric, said parts adjacent said front seam formed in knit stitches forming a minor area on each side of said front seam of said panty portion, said parts adjacent said rear seam consisting of knit stitches forming substantially all of the rear of the panty portion and other parts of the panty portion directly adjoining said knitted parts of plain fabric adjacent said front and rear seams extending over a major portion of the front portion and all of the side portions of said panty portion over an interval having acenter angle a and comprised between said normally knitted parts of said stockings said other parts being of reduced elasticity by having their threads at least partially interlaced.

3. Tights according to claim 2, wherein in said interval of center angle 0: located in said front and side portions of the tights and having a reduced elasticity, the panty portion has a height reduced in comparison with the height of the normally knitted parts of plain fabric adjacent to said front and rear seams of the panty portion.

t i t i t 

1. Method of manufacturing tights comprising the steps of: circularly knitting two symmetrical long tubular stockings and providing in a minor circumferential portion of each of their upper parts on an interval having a center angle Alpha a reduced elasticity by interlacing at least a part of the threads used for the circular knitting in this interval and normally knitting the threads in the other angular portions, cutting said two stockings symmetrically one with the other as mirror images along cut lines substantially parallel to the axis of the tubular stockings and provided in the upper part of said stockings in said normally knitted portions, said cut lines being offset from respective median lines of said normally knitted portions, dividing said normally knitted portions into respective main parts and into respective reduced parts, and assembling said two stockings and joining them at front and rear seams along said cut lines to constitute a panty portion of said tights with two normally knitted portions, one of reduced surface area formed by said reduced parts being assembled at the front seam and forming a minor area on each side of said front seam of said panty portion and one of greater surface formed by said main parts assembled at the rear seam forming substantially all of the rear of said panty portion and with reduced elasticity portions of said minor circumferential portions adjoining both said front and rear normally knitted portions and extending over a major portion of the front parts of the panty portion thereby forming the panty portion from the upper assembled parts of said two stockings.
 2. Tights embodying two assembled long circular knitted stockings comprising two legs and a panty portion, said stockings being assembled along a line forming a front seam and a rear seam for said panty portion and dividing the tights into two symmetrical parts, respectively forming mirror images each with the other, wherein parts adjacent respectively to said front seam and to said rear seam consist of threads in knit stitches forming plain fabric, said parts adjacent said front seam formed in knit stitches forming a minor area on each side of said front seam of said panty portion, said parts adjacent said rear seam consisting of knit stitches forming substantially all of the rear of the panty portion and other parts of the panty portion directly adjoining said knitted parts of plain fabric adjacent said front and rear seams extending over a major portion of the front portion and all of the side portions of said panty porTion over an interval having a center angle Alpha and comprised between said normally knitted parts of said stockings said other parts being of reduced elasticity by having their threads at least partially interlaced.
 3. Tights according to claim 2, wherein in said interval of center angle Alpha located in said front and side portions of the tights and having a reduced elasticity, the panty portion has a height reduced in comparison with the height of the normally knitted parts of plain fabric adjacent to said front and rear seams of the panty portion. 